Steve King: ‘When People Start Calling You Names, That’s What Confirms You’ve Won The Debate’

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) continued to stand firm behind his remarks on undocumented immigrants acting as drug mules in an interview with Breitbart News Wednesday, arguing that the backlash against him suggests his anti-amnesty views are winning the ideological fight on immigration reform.

“You know when people attack you—in this business, when you’re in this business, you know that when people attack you, and they call you names, they’re diverting from the topic matter,” King told Breitbart. “You know they’ve lost the debate when they do that. We’ve talked about it for years. Tom Tancredo and I joked about it that that’s the pattern. When people start calling you names, that’s what confirms you’ve won the debate.”

“When I read their quotes, I have to believe they didn’t read mine,” King told Breitbart of his colleagues’ criticism. “They completely missed the mark. I don’t yet know of anyone who has raised a logical argument against my statement.”

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Catherine Thompson is a senior editor for Talking Points Memo in New York City. She came to the site in 2013 and reported on national affairs. Previously, she worked as a research assistant to investigative reporter Wayne Barrett. She can be reached at catherine@talkingpointsmemo.com.